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Pave paradise, put up a parking lot

Valdavaqueros beach, in Tarifa’s backyard, is one of southern Europe’s last undeveloped beaches. It’s crucial bird habitat for many species that launch their migrations to Africa from Europe’s shores. It’s a paradise.

And now some rich moron wants to fill it full of hotel rooms and houses.

Spain has more unsold housing than the United States, although it has only 10 percent of the population. Much of Spain’s economic woes are warped around the housing bubble, construction fraud and mortgage debt.

Some politicians, bankers and builders continue to sing the same old song; that construction is the solution to Spain’s problem. Maybe creating a few short-term jobs will get them re-elected. But destroying paradise won’t save the economy. Just as leaving one last little happy place won’t kill it. The same politicians, bankers and builders who paved over the Costa Del Sol have already done that.